


Please, don’t go away (my heart’s yours to reclaim)

by lunatica



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Post-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:14:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24238615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunatica/pseuds/lunatica
Summary: --- SPOILERS FOR SEASON 5 ---You can't get the kiss out of your head and neither the way she hugged your body with such grief and affection. With your cheek and chest both on fire, you remember the way her hands trembled just at the thought of you putting yourself in danger again, or jumping into flames to rescue you. A shiver runs through your body at the remembrance."Adora" she says breathlessly, resting her temple against your hair. Then, with a voice still thick with emotion, she whispers, "I'm so sorry."
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 227





	Please, don’t go away (my heart’s yours to reclaim)

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, I've never written anything this fast  
> Btw, I listened to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cstIR7VI7Ak), [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzoYhbmlidM), and [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X56yFWqT_CU) while writing this

Everyone who passes you either offers you congratulations for having so valiantly saved them, or apologies for, apparently, impatiently hunting you down, in hopes that Horde Prime would keep his word and let them rejoice in his new order alongside him, whatever that meant. While some of the statements warm your heart, others simply become part of the sound of the night — the crackling of the bonfires, the music, laughter, and festivity all around. You revel in the welfare your and your friends' efforts have brought, the lives that you have protected. And while this strongly reaffirms your resolve, in reality, this isn't where you wanted to be.

Your gaze turns eagerly to the last place you had seen Catra, although the numerous people separating the two of you make it hard to catch even a glimpse of her. You try not to; in the end, though, you still can't help but yearn for her. You can't get the kiss out of your head and neither the way she hugged your body with such grief and affection. With your cheek and chest both on fire, you remember the way her hands trembled just at the thought of you putting yourself in danger again, or jumping into flames to rescue you.

The person talking to you, perhaps realizing your presence is in body only, congratulates you for the millionth time before he finishes the conversation. The only thing you can do to conceal the shiver running through your body at the remembrance is nodding your head and smiling softly while saying goodbye and waving back.

Immediately after he leaves, you undo the transformation, back to being only Adora, and head towards the spot where you knew she was at. You feel a tug in your chest and your heart crumbles, a bad feeling threatening to consume you whole when you see the spot vacant and cold. She wouldn't do that. Would she? No, no, no, no...

But before the fear inside you can get the worst of you, you feel something stroking your leg — it's with huge relief that you look at Melog. Even so, the relief barely lasts. You notice the gloomy look on its face, so different from the previous joy and concern it's always displayed around you. Your heart beats painfully in your chest.

You kneel on the ground and pet its head. "Do you know where she is?"

Melog meows and meows, and meows again, and more than ever you wish you could understand it. You open your mouth to explain this to it, but before a word can even come out, Melog strokes your neck, then gently licks your face before biting the sleeve of your red jacket, pulling it as it prompts you to follow it. You don't understand why it was here and not with her, but in your expectation of Melog leading you to Catra, you suppress your doubts and simply follow it silently, obediently, watching as you literally disappear from the crowd.

You find her far away from the commotion in their honor, sitting on one of the benches in the castle garden, alone. She looks smaller and fragile with the way she shrinks in on herself. You approach her with slow, careful steps, with your heart in your hand and not knowing what to expect, hoping more than anything you two wouldn't have the conversation you so dreaded.

"Catra..." She looks over her shoulder and her gaze alone is enough for you to notice the pain in her eyes. You put your hand on her shoulder, notwithstanding the distance between the two of you and wanting to make that sadness go away. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

And yet the question seems to make the situation worse because her tail coils around her raised legs and she wraps her arms around them. "It's..." Catra starts, but then her voice catches and it cracks when she says, "nothing." She closes her eyes and you see her tighten the grip around her legs, facing away from you. When she speaks again, her voice is steady once more. "Adora, you shouldn't be here. Go enjoy your victory party."

You look at her with concern, craving to hold and comfort her. It's only then you remember that there's no longer any reason to repress those urges. Looking around, you notice the absence of Melog, not having noticed his departure before. You knew it'd be fine, so without worrying too much, you sit on the bench and hug Catra from behind. With your forehead resting on her shoulder, you whisper, "It's yours too, you know."

Through your embrace, you feel her gasp. Slowly she relaxes in your arms and your heart flutters with joy. Catra loosens the hold around her legs, laying her back in front of your body, and you immediately tighten the hug. Her head rests on your shoulders, facing your neck. Your heart begins to race when you hear her smell you and a shiver runs down your thighs when she speaks against your neck, her lips moving against it, "Well, it shouldn't be."

Her voice seems distracted and more hoarse. Without even realizing it, you're already obeying the impulse that demands you turn your face and meet her lips with yours. "Why not? With everything you did to help us-" You try, staring at her lips and whispering against them, but even through the haze of your mind you realize how utterly entranced your voice sounds, and you blush. Catra has always given you sensations too overwhelming, too hard to control.

Suddenly she pulls herself out of your arms and leaves you bewildered and cold, instantly missing her body against yours above all else. "Adora!" She exclaims heatedly, such a contrast to the previous moment that it quickly gets you out of the trance that clouded your mind. "Are you forgetting about the whole 'Horde conquering Etheria' thing, or what?!"

If you were fighting, none of her punches or scratches would've hurt so much. You close your eyes, the pressure on your chest becoming hard to bear with your head held high. Reminiscing about those days always brought you an unbearable heartache — the anguish of having to fight her, the fury she exuded in all your interactions, the people who paid for her wrong choices; Angela... You close your hand in tight fists. "Believe me, I haven't." You say harshly, upset.

A few seconds go by in which you try to recover, not wanting to feed old wounds. When you think it safe to continue, you open your eyes and see her standing a few feet away, one hand holding the other arm and tail wrapped around her. You stand up and walk up to her. You watch her raise her head, glancing into your eyes only to lower hers again as if she's afraid or ashamed. You try to reassure her by holding her crossed arm. "But it's over now, it doesn't-"

But before you can finish, she blows up. "Don't you _dare_ lie to me!" She dismisses your affection by tossing your hand away from her and you try not to get hurt by this. It doesn't work very well. " _Of course_ it matters", Catra starts almost deliriously, frenzied, "They should _never_ have let me in there, to begin with. This has all been a mistake." And she turns her back on you, wrapping her arms around herself and you watch helplessly as her tail wags restlessly from side to side.

With your head hanging down, you gulp. Then you try to ask, though it only comes out as a whisper, your voice wavering with so many contained emotions. "What?" After everything you've been through... You try not to let the dread take over, but it seems the conversation you were so afraid of is finally here. With tense shoulders, you tighten your fists and tilt your head to the side, shutting your eyes to avoid the tears to spill. "So what, you're leaving again?" You ask unwillingly, fearing the answer.

You brace yourself for an emotional blow that never comes. Upon hearing your question, Catra immediately turns around, walking up to you with a shocked expression on her face.

"Of course not, dummy!" She vehemently says and then takes the hand she'd rejected before and gently places it on her face, leaning her cheek towards your touch. You caress her cheek, taking solace from the small gesture. "Didn't I say I'd go with you on your stupid quest?" The hand on her fingers interlace with yours and the little, soft smile on her face makes your heart beat out of tempo a few times. She takes your other hand and squeezes.

You're grateful for her reassurance, but the topic still leaves you somewhat distraught. So when you speak again, it's nothing more than a whisper, "I guess..."

"I'm just -" You look at her as soon as she starts to open up — or, at least, that's what you think she's doing —, wishing so bad she'd speak her mind for once. "Ugh! _Forget_ it." And she gives up, throwing her hands up, frustrated. You don't hesitate to hug her, cupping her head with one hand and bringing her close with the other.

You lay your temple on hers. "Tell me," you beg quietly. With her so close, you're able to feel the tremor seeping through her body, so you add like an afterthought, voice thick with all the feelings threatening to implode you, "please..."

Catra steps away from you a little, but not enough to disrupt the embrace like last time. Gently, she turns your gaze back to hers and the gesture's so delicate, so charming, that your heart once again beats out of tempo, an inexplicable warmth appearing in your chest. You love when she's like this, and the satisfaction only intensifies once you remember that nobody else gets to see this part of her. Only you.

She looks into your eyes for a while, and you use the opportunity to lose yourself in hers, just enjoying the moment, the feeling, and Catra. She's always been so pretty, but a part of you never stopped noticing how beautiful she had become ever since the last time you two were this close. It’s as if her features had become more elegant, refined, since then.

Then she sighs, hugging you. There's not even an instant of hesitation before you return it — you're fast becoming addicted to having her in your arms. "Tomorrow." She concedes with her face hidden in your neck. You don't even have time to feel disappointed, because right after that she says, "I could really use some sleep."

And there she goes, leaving your arms like she doesn't feel this same insatiable urge to be as close as possible. You're extremely frustrated, though it's quickly turning into sadness. She didn't feel the same way, did she? But she runs her hand through your extended arm — you’re trying to hold on to her for as long as possible — with a _good night, Adora_. You're a second away from pulling her back to you when something makes you stop. Despite what she'd said, Catra's not leaving. You watch dumbfounded as Catra settles on the bench, curling up to sleep. The sight alarms you.

Did she intend to sleep here? Beneath the stars, without any cover whatsoever and in the cold? Hah, not even over your dead body you’re letting this happen.

"Hold on. Why did you lie there? What happened to your room?" You question her, dissatisfied with what you're seeing.

Catra's ears stand up at attention upon hearing your question, but she just curls up even more. Without opening her eyes, she explains, "Sparkles was too busy with the party preparations, so _apparently_ , I'm spending the night here." When you say nothing, too incredulous to do anything, Catra opens her pretty blue eye and inspects you with it. "It's not too bad, _see_?" And proceeds to make a show of how comfortable the bench is. Hmph, of course it is.

"There's _no way_ I'm letting you sleep out here, Catra." Then you take her hand and hold it tight, pulling her away from here. You ignore the _hey!_ she cries out, but you answer when she asks what you're doing.

With a frown and a voice as serious as if you were discussing battle logistics, you say, "Taking you to my room."

Catra stops following you and you turn to see what the problem is, but end up losing your breath when you see the expression on her face, one that you'd never seen before. Inexplicably, it leaves you with an excruciating expectation. Your situation only gets worse when she comes close and runs her hand over your shoulder, her touch leaving a tingling sensation in its wake, and resting it on your face, feathery light. Catra stares at you, and she's so close that her breath brushes your lips. For a second you think you can hear your heartbeat, so fast and loud it beats in your chest.

"So eager, aren't you now?" Her voice's always so tempting in that deep, hoarse tone that you can't stop it when your eyes flutter closed on their own. You lay your forehead on hers and let go of the hand in yours to grab her waist and pull her close.

You're finally almost kissing her again — because it's been torture and a real exercise in self-control to see her and not be able to feel her under your touch — when she walks away, laughing. You realize then, in a moment of sheer shame, that you probably just proved her right.

Struggling to recover from the state she insisted on keeping you in, and which you secretly loved, you stammer, trying to explain your intentions (although now that she planted that little seed in your head, there's no going back anymore, you want it too badly). "I-I-I mean, so you can sleep with me."

You realize that's literally the worst thing you could have said when she laughs with her hands on her belly. And even though it's at your expense, you still feel a warmth in your chest because you're still able to make her happy that way.

When she stops laughing, it's with a smug smile adorning her face that she comes up to you, with that sway on her hips that's always drawn your eyes to them. Tonight isn't an exception. Then she whispers suggestively in your ear, "You didn't have to ask twice, you know."

If she keeps this up, you don't know how much longer you'll be able to keep your cool. So you hold her wrist and warn her — or beg, you don't know the difference at this point — in the little space that still existed between you, "Catra..."

She laughs softly this time and passes you by, her tail grazing your waist and you look at it briefly. Then she talks over her shoulder, "Relax, I'm messing with you, Adora." And she walks alone through corridors she doesn't even know, and yet she does so with such confident steps you can't help but trace her with your eyes.

There is a strange pause while you try to control the searing reactions of your body, and you shake your head as if to get rid of them. You follow Catra, and when you reach her, this time you simply guide her into your room with a _through here_ , for fear of rekindling things that you aren’t sure you’d be able to put out once you two are in the privacy of your room.

The doors close with an almost soundless click in the silence of the virtually empty castle, but it couldn't be louder for you, who have your heart almost leaping out of your mouth in anticipation, despite what you had just decided. You grimace in embarrassment and gulp, turning to Catra as you wipe your suddenly sweaty palms in your pants.

Catra seems to hold you in place with just one look, and even the idea of trying to resist seems worthless to you now. The moonlight shines on her from where it slips into the room through the uncovered window, and you admire her slender and lean body. Without even realizing what you're doing, you go to her as if under a spell impossible to challenge.

"So, huh..." You begin, not knowing exactly what you want to say next, scratching the back of your head while Catra speaks at the same time, "There's something I've been meaning to tell you..." she says in that sad and quiet voice of hers, holding one arm with her other hand and head hung low.

You exchange an embarrassed look and share a soft laugh. Then Catra fondly shakes her head. "We're _both_ idiots, huh?"

And looking at her anew, you could be the biggest idiot in the whole world for all you knew and you wouldn't even care. You finally have her where you've always wanted her — by your side, with you in every kind of way, and you've never felt so fulfilled, light, carefree, and happier before.

"Yeah." You murmur before closing the distance between you. You rest your hands on her hips like you've been dying to do all day and pull her close to you, no longer having to suppress your urges and desires. You mutter her name against her lips, _Catra_ , lost amidst the sensations. You can't stand to do anything anymore, not when she's right there — you two alone in your room, away from any possible interruption. It's too much temptation even for you to withstand.

But like an ice bath that awakens someone from a delightful dream, she suddenly exclaims, "Adora, wait!"

That baffles you greatly. You'd swear she wouldn't have a problem with you two being like that now, that everything was fine, that they could do these things now. "What? What is it? Did I do something wrong? Was I not supposed to –" You start to ramble, hopelessly thinking you've ruined everything just like that.

She cuts you off, kind of annoyed, "Shut up. It's not _that_." She massages her temples. "That's fine."

Catra assures you and you sigh in relief, "Oh. Good, that's good."

"I'm sorry for snapping." She says somewhat sheepishly, with one hand rubbing her neck. Her gaze, which previously had been worried, now softens. You take her hand and entwine your fingers as an encouragement to her to keep going.

She lets your hand go and wraps her arms around herself, shrinking and lowering her gaze, her tail curling around her legs. "I -" She tries, but her voice gets stuck in her throat and she ends up shrinking even more. To your surprise, she blows up, yelling the next words, and you take one step back. "I'm sorry, okay!" Catra's eyes are filled with tears when you focus on them. "All I've ever done was hurt you, and you still –" her voice catches again and you long to try to comfort her, "- love me..." her voice cracks weakly, so thick with emotions, and you feel a tug in your chest.

Immediately you pull her through the waist and place her head on your shoulder, stroking the back of her head as you close your eyes when the pain becomes too much. "Of course I do." You whisper gently in her ear, pained. Did Catra doubt that? What wouldn't you give to prove her she wasn't alone, that you were here, with her. That she had you.

Well, truth is, she _always_ had you, all along.

She breaks down. "Adora" she says breathlessly against your neck and you squeeze the grip you have around her. "I'm so sorry!" And she clings to you like you're her lifeline, sobbing in your arms.

Your chest hurts uncomfortably, yearning to take all her pain for yourself if it meant she wouldn't have to feel that way. "Catra..." Then you sink your hand into her hair, still a little puzzled by the lack of volume she's always had.

This thought only manages to worsen further the pain inside you, imagining the suffering she must have had to endure alone after sacrificing herself to save Glimmer. A chill runs through your body as you remember what it was like feeling you might’ve very well lost her altogether.

Your voice's raw, as are the feelings consuming you inside, when you try to comfort her, "Shhh... I know."

Catra leaves your arms, and even if only a little, it's like the new distance between you is a personal offense to you. She looks at you, astonished, wary. "Why?" And then, in the same frantic, urgent voice as before she presses, "I need to know. How could you possibly love me?"

You think about what she told you, the words _I've got you, I'm not letting go. Don't you get it?! I love you! I always have!_ intercepting any other thought, and your mind goes blank for a moment. Huh. At the end of the day, it seems like it's _Catra_ who doesn't understand.

Apparently, you take too long to answer. Catra falls to her knees, hugging her arms and crying. Taking great care not to let things escalate any further, you walk up to her and let yourself drop to the ground in front of her. You take Catra's hand, ignoring the confusion evident on her face, and place it on top of your heart. It beats uncontrollably in your chest, being pulled in all directions by the wide range of feelings driving you crazy.

"You know..." You begin, sorrowful and nostalgic at revisiting such painful memories. "When we first met, you were so sweet, loving, and caring." When you see the wounded look on her face, you berate yourself for the way the words came out. You try to tease her, hoping to chase that agonizing expression away, "Still pretty stubborn, though."

That earns you a soft laugh, and you're a bit proud to be the reason for it. "Shut up." She says, nudging your shoulder gently with the idle hand that wasn't being pressed to your chest. That makes you laugh a little, too. But your face gets somber once more when you recall what you were just about to say.

"But I watched over the years as you became someone completely different from that little girl I met... someone bitter and guarded." Her head hangs defeated upon hearing you. You reach out and raise her face with a gentle hand on her cheek so that you can look into her beautiful eyes.

"Some of that's my fault, too, for never standing up to Shadow Weaver." You think you'd feel greater pain mentioning her, but the truth is, as much as it hurt to lose the person who essentially raised the both of you, in the end, she still did more harm than good — no comparison needed. And very few things brought you more regret than to think about everything you let happen while you were both still under her tutelage.

"And after everything she did to you –" suddenly it's as if a knot appears in your throat, thinking of all the times that Catra had been unjustly and overly punished when she was younger. "– to us." And you confidently believe that Catra would understand what you mean — that Shadow Weaver's manipulation pitted one against the other only to get what she wanted, the way she wanted. "And– and everything that happened after I –" _left. Left you in that horrible place, alone_. You can't finish and this time it's you hanging your head, disappointed in yourself.

You feel Catra spread her fingers over your chest where your hand held hers in a firm grip, caressing you in that moving way that only she could do. When you look into her eyes again, it's with great surprise and relief that you find them warm and free of any resentment. That sight alone's able to give you the liberation you so badly needed from the guilt that constantly held you suffocatingly in its grip. Your eyes fill with tears, such is the serenity that washes over you. It only reaffirms even more to you what you're about to say.

"I guess what I wanted to say is, I understand." You try to smile at her, but your feelings soon overflow — Catra's figure becomes blurred and you feel the tears roll down the corner of your eyes. Your smile wobbles and fades away.

Not a second later, Catra's fluffy fingers are drying the tears in your eyes in a slow caress. She pulls you by the back of your head and you let yourself into her arms. You feel a wave of warmth bloom in your chest as Catra's tail wraps around your body as well. She tenderly brings you to her chest, where your head comes to rest, protected in her embrace. You cry for those years you spent apart, for all the suffering you two faced — both together and separately. You don't even know what else to cry for, although you well know what matters most to you now. So you tell her, "We're together now. It's all that matters to me," plunging your face further into her and grabbing her shirt in your fists.

Catra rests her forehead in your hair and whispers, her voice still loaded with emotion, "I'm so sorry."

You feel a cold drop on your neck and you take your time to settle into Catra's arms until you come face to face with her. You hold her cheek tenderly and watch mesmerized as she leans towards your touch. It makes you feel like you're falling off a cliff with the chilly flips in your belly. With the softest voice you can manage, you assure her, "It's ok now, I promise."

Her eyes widen and the meaning of your words isn't lost to you, much less the memory it evokes, but you're at peace with the past now — finally. Unfortunately, as you feared, this is still only the beginning for Catra.

Contrary to what you expect, however, she lowers her head even further and mutters against your lips, "I-I'll do better. I'll do anything, I promise," as she brushes her thumb across your lower lip.

You swallow whatever you're about to say, the reasoning behind your thoughts getting lost to the sensations as soon as your lips touch. Your heart seems to get hundreds of times bigger and an unrivaled warmth spreads through your body. No chance of you letting this opportunity pass you by now. You move the hand that previously rested on Catra's cheek to her hair, grabbing it to push her head forward, forcing her to deepen the kiss. You have to control yourself so as not to moan aloud, though a whine still sneaks its way out unintentionally, and you feel her smirking against your lips.

Catra kisses with such tenderness, so deliberately and slowly, that if you weren't kissing her right now you would've never believed it yourself. On your loneliest nights, on the ones most difficult to cope with, a million times you imagined — ah, how you imagined with your hand between your legs —, this happening (and then some more). You just never thought it would be like this. The pace was killing you; you needed more, much more. And even though this is everything you never knew you wanted, you'll enjoy it a lot more later on. For now, Catra would have to excuse you.

You run the back of your hand over the side of her face, caressing her, and stop when you reach her chin, where you hold her jaw to push her away — perhaps harder than was necessary. The gasp she lets out when you do so is more than enough to leave you in a dizzying, effervescent state. You get up off the ground and offer your hand for her to do the same, though she has a confused look on her face. As soon as she takes your hand, you pull her to you and she hugs your neck, perfectly attuned to one another. There aren't enough words to express how much you missed being this in synch with her. Your heavy breathing is the only sound in the room except for the noise of the party going on downstairs, and you force your mouth, slightly open, to close.

You don't know what you're waiting for and neither do you even remember why you stopped. But you can't possibly be blamed — some distant part of your mind argues —, being so close to Catra is intoxicating to the point of making you forget everything else. The thought of taking her to bed makes you so nervous with anticipation that you can feel your legs go wobbly. You bend down a little to grab one of her thighs and lift it, looking into Catra's eyes, who holds your gaze as if she knows the effect she has on you. That only worsens your situation. Her thigh comes to rest on your hip, while her tail wraps around one of your legs.

You hold her thigh firmly with one hand, the other's boldly close to her breast. Catra presses your hand closer to it, although you don't dare raise your hand any higher than that, even though the temptation to satisfy your fantasies is maddening, and you struggle not to squeeze her thigh hard enough to leave marks. The day had been very exhaustive, and you were both tired of the days past, so full of fear and trepidation. You know very well that now's _really_ not the time for something of the magnitude of what you craved, but for rest. Still, you can't help but feel like you've already waited long enough for a lifetime, having suppressed your own desires too many a time, and now you're taken aback by their intensity.

Still, your eyes are closed, trying to regain some kind of resemblance to calmness.

Then Catra urges you to open them again when she says in an extremely provocative voice that drips with seduction, "Adora, take me to bed." And your progress is thrown out of the window.

She doesn't say it as such, but it might as well have been a command. Without even a word, you take the other leg and lift it off the floor, carrying her to bed. You get on top of it with one knee and then with the other, lowering Catra on the mattress slowly. She keeps her legs on your hips and you lower your body, leaning your weight on her. You almost moan again when you feel how delicious it is to have her body under yours, and the idea of having her without clothes on your bed causes a distinct pulse to appear between your legs.

You want another kiss so much… you hold her by the nape, seeking her lips with yours. "I missed you so much." You say first, your heart pounding in your chest.

"Me too. So _much_." Her voice cracks at the last word, and she whispers so softly that it's almost like the words didn't even leave her mouth — but for you, they couldn't have been louder. You feel a tug on your chest and frown, wanting more than anything to taste her again. However, before you can get more of it, you're being turned over on the mattress, and the next thing you know you're looking up at her face, at the most captivating eyes you've ever seen.

"Ah– ah, not so fast." She smiles smugly, with that raspy, sensual voice you were quickly becoming addicted to.

"Catra..." You say, trying to argue, but what comes out is more akin to a weak moan. Her eyes seem to ignite when she hears you. You're about to do something about it when you realize that your wrists are constricted by the grip she has on them. You look at one at a time and then at Catra. She's on all fours atop you, as she's been so many other times, but today, under this moonlit light, she looks especially arousing.

You rub one leg against the other, hoping the friction would bring you some relief. But all the movement accomplishes is making you aware of how wet you are, and how badly you wanted it to be Catra pleasuring you instead.

She obviously notices, though her reaction doesn't come even close to what you expected of her. She smoothly, delicately, comes off from atop your body and lies by your side with her head over an arm bent backward. You immediately turn to her, holding the idle hand she let rest between the two of you.

"Why did you stop?" And the confusion and frustration in your voice are evident even to your own ears. You feel your cheeks getting warm.

She smiles so sweetly that you have trouble remembering the last time you saw that smile on her face. Regardless, it's very nice seeing it again.

" _Despite_ the evidence to the contrary, I wanted to sleep, _remember_?" Her voice sounds so mischievous when she says it that you can't help but doubt her sincerity. You think about asking the real reason why she stopped, but now that you'd been distracted from your lust, a yawn keeps you from doing it, making you reconsider. Maybe, just maybe, Catra had the right idea.

You cuddle up to her, and she envelops you in a strong hold, despite her slim body, and it leaves you feeling safe, cared for, and content. Her tail rests on your thigh, and even though sleep is starting to get a grip over your exhausted mind, you feel giddy, like you're both kids again. You two stay like this until your breathing starts to even out and you can no longer discern dream from reality.

All that you have left is the sensations, and so you feel a subtle movement and the place formerly occupied by something very cuddly and warm is now empty and cold. You mumble, grouchy. First, you feel your feet getting a little colder and then your upper body, but everything gets a lot nicer when you feel something being laid on you and everything getting warm again. The absence of that something on your side still bothers you though.

Drowsily, you open one eye. When you see the empty space by your side, you immediately freak out, and the alarm dispels some of the fog of sleep from your mind. _Catra_. Where is she?

The hand on your shoulder answers your question. Catra lies next to you again and you don't hesitate to grab her by the waist and bring her close to you. You deem it safe to let your eyes fall shut once more.

"Don't go. Stay." It's hard to formulate eloquent sentences right now, but you believe you've got the message through with the whispered plea against her lips.

She loosens your hair and you feel her hands massaging the back of your head lovingly. You sigh, residual tension leaving your body with the relaxing motion. You move blindly towards her, resting your head in the space between her neck and shoulder.

She laughs softly. "You _are_ an idiot." You hear her murmuring so softly, so fondly against your hair, that your clouded mind can barely grasp it. Then she sighs against your head. "I'm not going anywhere, Adora."

And, _oh_.

A part of you recognizes what has been said, but you're too tired to do anything else besides smiling. You feel a low purr under your body and it effortlessly lulls you to sleep. The last thing you register before falling asleep for real is a wistful sigh followed by a sweet kiss being planted on top of your head. Then that unique and special voice says so tenderly, "I love you so much."

And you've never slept better.

**Author's Note:**

> I still can't believe the end, omg. Also, it's over T____________T


End file.
